Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-08-11
JEFF DAVIS vs.. rscuIBITloN.
The Old Ch,eftsln Ia fer Temperance,
Hut He Dtstrasts New England
laws.
From the Galveston News.

| have heretofore ieolinea To am
swer any Of the many enquiries made
for my op,nioa On the constitutional
amendment, now pending in Texas,
My reason for not replying was an
unwillingness TO enter into n eontro-
versy in which my friends in Texas
stood arrayed against each other,
In departing from the rule hereto
tofore observed, trust that it viii
not be an unwarrantable intrusion.
Reared in the creed of Democracy,
my faith ia its tenets has grown with
its growth and I adhere to the maxim
that "thc world is governed too
much"
When our fathers achieved their /
independence. the conversions Of
the government they constructed
was individual liberty, and the social
organizations they established were
not for the surrender. but for the |
protection of natural rights. For
this, governments were established. |
deriving their just powers from the
consent of the governed. This was
net 10 subject themselves to the will
of the majority, IS appears from the
fact that each community inserted in
its fundamental law bill of rights |
to gusrd the unalienable rights of the
individual.
There was then two-fold purpose
in government, protection and pre-
vention against trespass by the strong
upon the weak, the many upon the
few.
The world has long suffered from
the expressions of government under
the pretext of ruling by divine right,
and excusing the invasion into private
and domestic affairs on the plea of
paternal care for the morals and
good order Of the people.
Our sires rejected all such preten-
tions, their system being: Govern
ment by the people for the people,
and resting on the basis of natural
inaienabIe rights. Upon the basis of
these general propositions, 1 will
briefly answer the inquiry in regard
to the prohibition amendment at is
sue.
"Be ye temperate in all things"
was a wise injunction and would ap-
ply to intolerance as we'll as drunk
enness. That the intemperate use
of intoxicating liquor is an evil, few,
if any, will deny.
| That it is the root of many social
disorders is conceded, but then the
/ question arises, what is the appro-
pirate remedy and what the present
necessity To destroy individual
, liberty and moral responsibility
would be to eradicate one evil by the
substitution of another. which it is
submitted would be more fatal than
that for which it was offered as rem
edy. The abuse and not the use of
stimulants, it must be confessed, Is
the evil to be remedied. Then i,
clearly follows that action should lie
| clearly directed against the abuse
rather than the use. Ii drunkenness
be the cause of disorder and crime,
why not pronounce drunkenness
, itself to be crime and attach to it
, proper and adequate penalties. If il
r be objected that the penalties could
e not be enforced that is an admission
that popular opinion is opposed to
the law; but if it be true that juries
could not be empaneled who would
convict so degraded criminal as g
drunkard it follows that a statutory
prohibition against intoxicants would
be dead letter.
The next branch of inquiry is as
to the present necessity.
Il l might appeal to men not as old
q as myself to sustain the assertion
, that the convlvial use of intoxicants
: and the occurrence of drunkenness
y had become less frequent within the
! last twenty years than it was evel
before. The refining influences Of
education and Christianity may bt
credited with this result. Why moi
= allow these blessed handmaidens Of
= virtue and morality to continue
! unembarrassed in their civilizine
work. The parties to this discussion
in your State have no doubt brought
: forward the statistical facts in regard
to the effect produced in other states
by this effort to control morals by
legislation, and will not encumbel
this letter by any reference to those
facts.
You have already provision for 10
cal prohibition. II it has proven tht
wooden horse IN which a disguised
enemy to state sovereignty as tht
guardian of individual liberty wal
= introduced, them let it be warning
that the progressive march would
, probably be from village to State ani
from State to United States.
A governmental supervision ant
paternity, instead of the liberty tht
heroes Of 1776 left as a legacy Il
their posterity. Impelled by tbt
: affection and gratitude feel for th.
. people of Texas, and the belief tina
a great question of American polio,
is involved in the issue you have be
fore you, the silence 1 had hoped tt
: observe has been broken. IL th.
/. utterapce shall avail anything fol